Ashes And Spirit (Book 3)

by A. D. Trosper

  He grabbed the torch from its sconce and descended the stairs to meet her. She paused when they were a few paces apart. Her dark hair, the color of cold blood, framed her face. The light of the torch danced in her eerie green eyes, the irises ringed with black.

  “You wished to speak with one of us?” Azurynn’s voice held amusement as if she knew the thoughts in his mind. A smile parted her lips. “I do know what you are thinking. I have rummaged through every thought in your head.”

  He straightened and squared his shoulders, ignoring the sheen of cold sweat on his forehead. “Then you know what I wish to ask.”

  She nodded. “Indeed.” She pursed her lips and regarded him for a moment. “You know, of course, that although Osgar promised the Shadow Riders would leave Shadereen alone, we aren’t likely to keep that promise. Osgar is new, foolish, and not in a position to make such promises. If we run the Guardians out, Shadereen will be ours.”

  The knot in his stomach tightened painfully. He should have known this was too good to be true.

  Azurynn folded her arms, one hand raised, finger tapping her lips. “However,” she lowered her hand. “I can promise these changes that bother you would be a thing of the past under our rule. Female Shadow Riders fight in battle but there is no reason for any other woman to. And this University nonsense will be put to rest. All that we ask is a tax levied and the money from that be given to the Shadow Riders. There will be times when we may need livestock, people, etc. We will be given these things without resistance. Other than that, you may run your nation how you wish. Pave your streets in gold or slaughter half the people, we care not.”

  He swallowed. What choice did he have? Shadereen must be set right. He opened his mouth to agree, but she stopped him with a held up hand and said, “Do be aware the cost of life will be extensive. Your people will fight as will the Guardians. Once we make this agreement, the Shadow Riders will not stop. Also, all of those in a position of leadership will have to be disposed of, as you well know. Except for you, of course. That was the reason you contacted us, wasn’t it? Your own lack of faith in the Guardians and the desire to maintain your own position?”

  He barely held his emotions in check. Her tinkling laugh echoed in the chamber. “I told you, I have already gone through your mind quite thoroughly. Your desire to return Shadereen to what it once was only came after your own cowardice. Nevertheless, we will do as you ask.”

  “Loss of life is a consequence of war.” He sighed. “I will accept your conditions.”

  A languid smile settled on her pretty face. “We will begin soon.” The smile faded, and her eyes glared icy daggers at him. “Do not try to back out of our deal now. If I detect a hint of you switching back to the Guardian’s side, I will personally see to your death, but not before I have taken the life of everyone you care about, including that newborn grandbabe of yours.”

  He jerked a nod. “I will not falter.”

  “See that you don’t.”

  Without another word, she turned and walked back to the dragon. Within moments she was gone, and he stood alone in the cavern with only the sound of the disturbed water lapping at its gravel banks to break the silence.

  He stood over the dead man in the empty training yard of Calladar, feeling no remorse. The man had failed. Mckale had survived the bolt to the chest. He glared at the corpse and the blood spreading from the slit throat. Known to be for hire to any of the houses, the man wore nothing that would point fingers. He would take the blame for the attempt on the Dragon Rider’s life.

  He bent and wiped his blade on the dead man’s clothing. No one would know the truth. Kovan’s wishes could still be carried out. In a moment, he would call the guards and tell them this man had tried to kill him after he found him out. Then, once he was done here, he could return to the private chamber beneath his house where that delectable young woman waited. She wouldn’t be of use to him much longer and would never know freedom again. Soon, she would join the others that had been shuffled off to the Shadow Riders as servants.

  After a heavy sigh at having to wait, he shouted several times for the city guard. At the sound of boots pounding closer, he arranged his features into an expression of astonished disgust and heavy with regret. No one was as good at hiding emotions or their true selves as he.

  Taela sat on the bed with her feet tucked up, her dress flowing over the edge of the mattress. Kellinar paced the width of the bedchamber, a small frown drawing his brows together.

  “As much as I like the idea of seeing Anevay again, I’m not sure about a trip into Maiadar.” He glanced at her. “You’ve never been there, I have. It…” Kellinar shook his head. “I don’t even know how to explain it to you. To say it wasn’t the most comfortable experience would be an understatement.”

  Taela sighed. “It’s the only way Kellinar. We have no choice. Without the weave, none of us will live.” It bothered her that she couldn’t tell him everything, but Maleena was right; everyone would be against it. Most assuredly Kellinar and Mckale. Kirynn and Jocelynn might see the practicality of it, but none of the others would.

  He stopped pacing and ran a hand over his braids. “What about New Sharren? We can’t just abandon them.”

  “If we don’t do this, there will be no point in building New Sharren. All will be lost.” Pausing to let that sink in, she continued, “There are other Dragon Riders who are just as capable of helping with New Sharren. And there are plenty of mages.” She studied him. “You alone are not responsible for them and their future.”

  Kellinar let out a heavy sigh and dropped into a chair, his shoulders sagging. “The idea of a rebellion came from me. If I had left well enough alone—”

  “The people of New Sharren would still be trapped in the Mallay slowing wasting away under the rule of Shadow Riders. If you take all of the responsibility for what happened, then you claim the victory for yourself.”

  “It isn’t that I’m trying to claim anything or take anything from them. I just…gah!” He threw his hands in the air. “You sound like Dhovara.”

  Taela smiled. “Dhovara is a wise woman. I will take that as a compliment.”

  He glared at her, though it held no heat of anger. After several moments, resignation settled over his features and reflected through the bond. “Fine. If you insist it must be done, we will make a flaming trip into Fate-forsaken Maiadar.”

  She stood and crossed the sleeping chamber to him. Putting her arms around him, she hugged him close. “You have to let go of what happened at Trilene and look forward. More than New Sharren is at stake if we fail.”

  Kellinar pulled away and looked her in the eye for a long moment. “What are you hiding from me?”

  Taela kept the sorrow from rising and smiled to reassure him. “Nothing of great importance to you. Female talk with Maleena. If you really want to know…”

  “No! Fates, no.” Kellinar stood and backed away from her, his hands up in surrender. “I don’t need to hear it.”

  “Then we should prepare for our journey. I don’t know how long it will be. We can pack extra on the dragons. Paki has already informed me that she has no intention of staying behind, and Maleena said having Paki along would help shield us from the pull of the lake.” She moved around the room, grateful to change the course of the conversation.

  He nodded and began to pull clothing from the wardrobe. “Shryden intends to go with us as well.” Kellinar set the clothes on the bed. “If you take care of everything here, I will go speak with Marda. We are going to need food and drink on this trip…hopefully.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Kellinar chuckled darkly. “Exactly what it sounds like. The realm on the other side of the lake isn’t favorable to a good appetite. However, I will prepare as if it would be.”

  Taela nodded, a small, uneasy feeling settling over her. How different could it possibly be? “Oh,” she called as he left. When he stepped back in the door she said, “Don’t let her go overboard. You know h
ow Marda is. We don’t need a year’s supply of food to feed an army.”

  “Sure, I will just rein her in.” He snorted and left the room.

  Taela had to admit the idea of restraining Marda was as futile as trying to lift a dragon. She packed several clean undergarments but didn’t bother with extra outer clothing. It was doubtful they would need them. Just because they had dragons to carry most of it didn’t mean they needed to be excessive. She laughed at the changes in herself. There was a time when she wouldn’t have packed like this, when she would have had numerous trunks and an entire retinue with her.

  Her thoughts drifted to Anevay with a mixture of hope and sorrow in her heart. The weave to save them all aside, it would be wonderful to see her bondsister once more—provided they could even find her. But how hard it would be to say goodbye…again.

  Kellinar walked slowly toward the main hall. Anevay… He longed for this journey and at the same time it terrified him. How many nights had he dreamt of her? Dreams so real he could smell her hair, see her face glowing with a smile so clear it was as if she were really there. How many times had those dreams dissolved into nightmares filled with smoke and blood as her dark eyes shimmered with tears? Of Serena weeping as she told him she couldn’t heal death. How many times had Latia whispered, “I love you” in his mind before she faded? Could he really say goodbye again so soon?”

  With a heavy heart full of uncertainty, he found Marda and made a request for food for the trip. If he didn’t do this, he would lose Shryden and everyone else. An image of Maleena and Mckale with little Emmaleen swam through his mind. Of Loki and Merru, both having grown up in such a short time. Of Kirynn, Vaddoc, Serena, and all of the other Dragon Riders. Refusing to go wouldn’t save him any pain.

  Sooner than he would have liked, he was climbing onto Shryden. Both dragons had hunted well and eaten heavily just a few hours before. Though the sun shone bright, the air held the sharp tang of winter. A storm laden with snow was on its way. The air currents swirled around Kellinar, bringing him the news.

  Jocelynn, the last to bid him farewell, reached up and clasped arms with him. She shook her head. “I’m glad it’s you and not me, my friend. I’ve heard enough about that flaming place to prefer waiting until death to visit.”

  He smiled at her though it held little mirth. “Have fun in the downlands.”

  “Someone has to keep it straight.”

  It was nice to see the easy-going Jocelynn coming back. She had been mostly absent since Trilene. Kellinar envied her in some respects. It must be some kind of blessing to separate the horror of that battle from her feelings. To be able to look at those memories and not feel the emotions. To be able to dream at night without waking up in a cold sweat.

  As she backed away from the dragon, he glanced at Maleena. In spite of the beautiful baby in her arms, a touch of sadness lingered in her eyes. When he’d asked Mckale about it, the Borderman shrugged and said it had something to do with a talk she’d had with Taela. Women’s stuff. Maybe she felt bad for sending them to find Anevay on the heels of their grief. Either way, both women were hiding something they wanted to keep to themselves. Kellinar shrugged inwardly, who was he to pry into whatever was between them?

  Shryden lifted off at the same time as Paki. The silver spun the Slide open and in moments they were above the rolling plains northeast of Markene. Below them, the lake lay in a perfect circle, the water as still as death in spite of the sharp, cold wind that whipped over the prairie. A light blanket of snow crunched under the feet of the dragons when they landed. The sand of the perfect shore remained free of the layer of white. Apparently even moisture from the sky avoided the lake.

  Taela jumped down, a scroll in her hand. With a groan, Kellinar followed suit. He moved to stand next to her on the unnatural sand. She studied the symbols for a long moment. Kellinar glanced at the scroll but could make no sense of the jumble of lines written on it. “Will you use the same symbols Emallya did?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’ve seen that scroll. What Emallya used was specifically to take you along the edge of Maiadar. We need to cross that boundary and go deep inside.”

  “Wonderful, just what I always wanted to do.”

  “Quit griping, Kellinar and be quiet so I can concentrate.”

  She rolled the scroll and held it in one hand while she crouched next to the lake. With one finger, she touched the surface. Silver pooled under her fingertip, and she quickly drew several symbols on the surface, then stood.

  The symbols seemed to sink into the water as if being absorbed. A silver sheen spread over the surface and the water underneath turned so dark it was almost black. Taking a deep breath, Kellinar followed her into the water with the dragons right behind them. He tried not to think as it rose silently around him. Even two massive dragons couldn’t disturb the mirror-like surface.

  And then Taela stopped. She looked at him with a slight smile. “See you on the other side.”

  He nodded. “I’ll be there.”

  Taela stepped forward and disappeared. Paki was right behind her. Kellinar glanced up at Shryden. “You ready for this?”

  “I have to be.”

  “Might as well get a move on then.” Kellinar took several deep breaths and stepped forward.

  Kellinar slipped beneath the surface, the water closing over his head without a sound. In the darkness, even his connection to Shryden was lost. A flash of panic charged through him. For over three years the blue had shared his mind. The sudden emptiness was a shock, a vast open spot where his greatest friend should be. His lungs burned with the need for air, and his heart raced at the loss of Shryden.

  Then he fell out of the other side and smacked into the ground. The sense of Shryden slammed into his mind along with a warning. Kellinar flung himself to the side. The massive blue narrowly missed landing on him as the dragon tumbled in a tangle of tail and wings from the bright-blue disk.

  Kellinar glanced at the lake. It was just as he remembered. A smooth, flat plate balanced on its edge. When he turned to find Taela, the world around him slid. His stomach lurched and he closed his eyes with a groan. That too was just as he remembered.

  Opening his eyes, he tried to look around as slowly as possible, even though it didn’t really help much. A nearby tree, shimmering with silver leaves, slid far away; its leaves disappearing as it did so. At the same time, another tree jumped forward and several clumps of grass dashed to the side. Whispering surrounded them as if a thousand souls were talking all at once.

  Taela stood with one arm braced against Paki, the scroll still clutched tight in her hand. She took slow, deep breaths and opened her eyes. “You could have warned me it would be like this.”

  Kellinar got to his feet and made a careful and unsteady walk to Shryden. “I’m not sure I could have described it well enough. Besides, would it have made any difference?”

  “No, but I would have been more prepared.” She reached up and tucked the scroll into one of the bags on Paki.

  “Nothing can prepare you for this place.” He ran a hand over his braids and stared at Shryden. “I’ve been here before and still I’m not fully prepared for it. Can we just get on with it?” A glance at the ground showed the silver thread he remembered, though this time it ran off in a different direction.

  Taela nodded, turned, and lost her morning meal. Kellinar took a step toward her, but she waved him away. He did as she wished, swallowing the bile that rose in his throat as the scenery continued to move around him.

  After rinsing her mouth with water, Taela pulled herself into Paki’s saddle. Kellinar looked up at Shryden. “Do you mind if a hitch a ride? I’m not sure I can walk a straight line on my own.”

  “Of course I don’t mind. This place moves strangely, but it doesn’t affect me the way it does you.”

  Kellinar climbed into the saddle, not bothering with any of the safety straps, they wouldn’t be flying anyway.

  Shryden trailed behind Paki. Their surroundings changed t
he farther they followed the silver thread running along the ground. The scenery slid in different directions at a slower rate. When he’d traveled through the lake with Emallya, the mist had been held back by an invisible shield. Now the mist closed in until the moving trees and grasses could no longer be seen.

  After what felt like hours, and probably had been, Shryden came to a halt. Kellinar reached for him. “What are we doing?”

  “Paki says it’s time for a rest,” Shryden returned.

  Taela’s exhaustion flowed through the bond and blended with his own. Kellinar dropped from the saddle. At least with the mist pressing in, the Fate-forsaken trees weren’t visible. A few clumps of grass sluggishly zigged and zagged out of sight, only to reappear again. The light remained constant, as it always did here, giving no indication of the passage of time.

  Kellinar pulled a bag down from Shryden, surprised he could feel hunger in this place. It could only be attributed to the lack of visibility. It was hard for the scenery to make his stomach roll when he couldn’t see it although the whispering of the dead was louder here. He could almost make out their words now.

  Taela rubbed her temples and flopped down to sit on the ground. “I wish they would be quiet for a while.”

  He shrugged and sat next to her. “Emallya said it’s been so long since the living walked among the dead that the spirits are curious.” Memories of the journey with Emallya to Galdrilene flowed through his thoughts. Of Bardeck on the night Kellinar had hatched Shryden. He wished they had had more time to learn from them.

  Taela pulled the pack from his hands and opened it. Her soft laugh interrupted his thoughts, and he glanced at her. “What?”

  “I see you were unsuccessful in reining in Marda.” She pulled several wrapped parcels from the pack.

  “When it comes to making sure people have full bellies, there is no holding Marda back. She’s a mother hen and anyone within reach is her chick.”